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Personalized e-mails drive shoppers to buy - and buy more - in stores and online

By Amy Dusto, Associate Editor

77% of online shoppers say they’re more likely to buy from a retailer when its e-mails are personal, according to a new survey. And 82% of web shoppers say they’d likely buy more items from a retailer if its e-mails were more personally relevant.

More than three quarters—77%—of online shoppers who have signed up to receive promotional e-mails from a retailer say they are more likely to purchase from that merchant on the web or in stores if the messages feature products based on their shopping habits and preferences, according to a new survey by Harris Interactive. What’s more, 82% of shoppers say they’d also be likely to purchase more total items from that merchant if the e-mails they received were more personalized.

“Online retailers should find the results of this study thrilling,” Listrak CEO Ross Kramer says. “It not only definitively shows the effectiveness of e-mail in driving conversions, but also that online shoppers find personalized recommendations helpful enough to make them more likely to purchase more.”

In addition to being likelier to spend more with a merchant, 82% of the respondents say they would be willing to receive more e-mails from that merchant each week if the contents were based on their past purchases. Specifically, most shoppers (90%) who have signed up for a retailer’s e-mails say they would like to receive messages when an item they purchase often has gone on sale, the survey says. 72% say they’d like e-mails that make shopping easier, for instance by showcasing weekly sales or new products.

Shoppers are willing to help retailers do the job. 69% of the survey respondents say they’re willing to share additional details about their personal preferences with retailers in order to receive more personalized e-mails.